Judge John Collier (May 6, 1815 – 1892) was a

superior court In common law systems, a superior court is a court of general jurisdiction over civil and criminal legal cases. A superior court is "superior" in relation to a court with limited jurisdiction (see small claims court), which is restricted to civil ...

judge from

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

, commonly considered one of the city's "founding fathers". Collier filed the charter which renamed the city of "Marthasville" to "Atlanta" in 1848. Judge Collier was among the Atlanta area's earliest white settlers. His father, Meredith Collier, settled on a plot of land near the neighborhood that is now known as

Ansley Park Ansley Park is an intown residential district in Atlanta, Georgia, located just east of Midtown and west of Piedmont Park. When developed in 1905-1908, it was the first Atlanta suburban neighborhood designed for automobiles, featuring wide, wi ...

. Judge Collier's brother, Washington Collier, is widely touted as being one of Atlanta's first settlers. Presumably "Wash" Collier ended up becoming the more notable of the clan because he opened and ran one of the first general stores near Atlanta's original railroad head and operated Atlanta's first mail service. The Historic Collier Heights community, located on the Westside of the city, and touted as one of

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

's most Prestigious and affluent communities was named in John Collier's honor. Judge Collier was the father of Charles A. Collier, a notable Georgia politician and attorney who served as mayor of Atlanta in the latter years of the 19th century.

Biography

John Collier was born on May 6, 1815, in

Gwinnett County, Georgia Gwinnett County ( ) is located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. It forms part of the Atlanta metropolitan area, being located about northeast of Atlanta city limits. In 2020, the population was 957,062, making it the ...

. Collier was listed as a Member of the Bar in Atlanta in 1852. He later went on to serve in the

Georgia State Senate The Georgia State Senate is the upper house of the Georgia General Assembly, in the U.S. state of Georgia. The Georgia State Senate and the lower house of the General Assembly, the Georgia House of Representatives, comprise the bicameral leg ...

and in 1867 was appointed 'Judge of the Circuit' (Superior Court) by Georgia Governor Charles J. Jenkins. Collier died in 1892. He is interred in the Collier Mausoleum, Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Collier, John (judge) 1815 births 1892 deaths Georgia (U.S. state) state court judges Georgia (U.S. state) lawyers Georgia (U.S. state) state senators Politicians from Atlanta People from Gwinnett County, Georgia Superior court judges in the United States 19th-century Georgia (U.S. state) state court judges 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century members of the Georgia General Assembly

Biography

See also

References